Why Would Anyone Want to Work for the Government?

July 19, 2013

Three years of wage freezes, an austere fiscal environment (even before sequestration), a public and Congress that frequently act in ways hostile to government workers--all of which send a message: the federal workforce is not valued. But, even for those who advocate a dramatic shrinking of the size of the federal workforce, new hires are and will be needed. One has to wonder in such an environment how the government is going to attract the best and the brightest. What incentives make government employment attractive?